Why Situation in Balochistan is Deteriorating?

Now-a-days, law and order situation is so rapidly deteriorating in Balochistan that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has seriously been taking the phenomena, while hearing the cases of the missing persons of the province.

Quaid House in Ziarat – Balochistan

In this regard, by resuming the hearing on July 26, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of the Supreme Court said that Advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kinrani’s reply on the missing persons was unsatisfactory. He warned that if the Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan failed in recovering the missing persons, the court would order arrests of its personnel. On the other side, Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for FC denied the force’s involvement in the missing persons.

On July 24, expressing disappointment over the federal and provincial governments’ failure to control the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan, the Supreme Court ruled that there “is complete constitutional breakdown in Balochistan.”

Chief Justice Iftikhar repeatedly remarked that situation in the province was worsening day by day as army, FC and police had done nothing in this respect.

During the hearing, Raja Irshad submitted a report which said that it had conducted internal inquiries and found that missing people were not in its custody. It disclosed that in many cases insurgents dressed in FC uniforms committed “high profile acts of terrorism”, which are bringing a bad name to this federal organisation.

Now, Supreme Court, federal and provincial governments are taking serious notice of the aggravated law and order situation of the largest province of Pakistan, particularly with reference to the disappeared people. In this backdrop, question arises as to why situation of Balochistan is deteriorating, and where are the missing persons of the province?

Reality behind the worsening circumstances and the disappeared people in Balochistan is that secret agencies like American CIA, Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad which have well-established their collective network in Afghanistan have perennial been conducting subversive acts in the province through their affiliated militant groups to fulfill their secret strategic designs so as to dismember Pakistan. For this purpose, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Jundollah (God’s soldiers) including other separatist groups which have been fighting for secession of the province get logistic support from these foreign agencies. Most of the innocent people were kidnapped and killed by these insurgent entities. Many people have been abducted by them, and then taken to Afghanistan for ransom. A number of these persons have also gone to Afghanistan and India. Some of them were murdered by external secret agencies to implicate Pakistan’s security agencies including FC. Even Balach Marri was killed in Afghanistan.

These foreign-backed insurgent groups are responsible for target killings of Punjabis, Pushtuns, people of Hazara community and patriot Balochis. Besides, disappeared individuals are also in the detention centres (Farrari Camps) which are being run by Baloch feudal lords (Sardars). Due to difficult heavy terrain, it is not easy for the FC to detect these people. With the assistance of US-led India and Israel, these Sardars are fighting for their so-called prestige, status and influence, and want to continue old system of feudalism in the province.

It is notable that on June 2, this year FC Inspector General Maj-Gen. Obaidullah Khan Khattak informed the media that millions of rupees were being spent to spread unrest in Balochistan, adding that over 30 militant training camps had been set up across the border in Afghanistan to launch terrorist and anti-state activities in Balochistan. He revealed that teachers, doctors and many civilians have fallen prey to targeted killings—over 100,000 people had migrated from the province due to worsening law and order and about 550 incidents of terrorism have taken place in the province so far this year of which several separatist groups have claimed responsibilities. He disclosed that foreign powers had their eyes on the province as part of a well-planned conspiracy, hatched for propaganda against the FC and intelligence agencies. He explained that during the last three months, FC posts were attacked in which several soldiers lost their lives.

In of the hearings on June 4, even Justice Jawwad S Khawaja observed that it was a serious matter, if international agencies were defaming the FC, and urged the organisation to expose their conspiracies.

During his recent visit to Balochistan, even Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, while hinting towards US, India and Israel including militant groups disclosed that there were some external and internal forces involved in creating unrest in the province.

He explained, “Law and order is a provincial subject and the federal government will fully assist the provincial government”, adding that the “Frontier Corps could not work against the wishes of the Balochistan chief minister.”

It is our misfortune that without knowing facts, while speaking in the tone of anti-Pakistan external elements, some of our own media anchors, so-called NGOs and human rights groups spread disinformation, creating sensations about the missing persons of Balochistan by implicating Pak Army and country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), especially FC. In these terms, either these internal entities are on the payroll of external elements or they want to get good coverage on the foreign media. These internal elements also include some Pakistan’s political parties which seek to increase their vote bank in the forth coming elections by blaming the country’s security agencies about the deteriorating situation of Balochistan. In this context, these parties have developed ‘stereotypes’ among the general masses, unintentionally benefiting those foreign powers which want to destabilse Pakistan.

It is of particular attention that on February 8, 2012, the hearing of the US Congress Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Dana Rohrabacher discussed target killings and human rights violations in Balochistan, blaming Pakistan’s security agencies. He also favoured an independent Balochistan. It has exposed US backing to the Baloch separatists who are responsible for the disappeared people.

Nevertheless, observing the critical situation, recently, a two-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the former Justice Javed Iqbal visited Balochistan. Afterwards, Justice Javed Iqbal remarked that NGOs exaggerated figures of the missing persons, but failed to provide details about them. He elaborated that these NGOs were just spreading sensationalism.

As Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is taking personal notice of the law and order situation of Balochistan, and the missing persons of the province in connection with FC, these external-supported militant groups have chosen this particular movement to fulfill the anti-Pakistan foreign agenda by accelerating the acts of sabotage in the province.

Notably, when Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was addressing the Balochistan High Court Bar on July 12, while speaking about the missing persons, and law and order situation of the province, six people including the leader of Awami National Party Malik Qasim were killed on the same day in a bomb blast at a public gathering. In this context, 10 people workers of the ANP who were observing strike were killed on July 14 when some unidentified gunmen opened fire on them.

Particularly, July 10, was the dark day for Balochistan when many people were killed, kidnapped, and bullet-riddled bodies found in different parts of the province. On July 12, Quetta police found the dead bodies of seven coal miners who were kidnapped from the Degari area of Balochistan on July 6. Regarding this incident, BLA had claimed responsibility for their abduction. But following the death, coalminers refused to work in the mines across Balochistan, and observed strike. This is what the militants wanted to seek. Besides other terror-events, on July 21, foreign sponsored militants attacked a security checkpost located in Pishukan area of Gwadar, and killed six security personnel.

Nonetheless, US-led India and Israel are behind the deteriorating situation of Balochistan including the missing persons.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations